SYDNEY: After the BIG RED

Hey everyone… sorry I haven’t posted Wednesday’s Venice post, nor come to visit all your lovely blogs, but been fighting the RED Dust Monster.

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I’ve never been ‘big’ on the colour RED.. now more than ever. I now seem to have RED dust covered decor throughout my home. RED car… RED Clothes… RED dishes in the dish rack.. RED Floors… and RED Head!! Well not quite that bad… but actually sort of!! RED PC… it is all over my PC and probably inside it too!!! There is a fine layer of red dust everywhere and unfortunately on the night the dust storm rolled in.. I had the fan of my air conditioning unit on, so it is full of Red dust and so is my living room.. and kitchen.. and bathroom.. and some even in the bedrooms and I’m pretty sure in my lungs!! Been coughing all night..and have a MONSTER headache. [Godzilla size headache!] Need sleep!!






You’ve probably heard about the RED Dust Storm Sydney encountered yesterday. Well here are the pics! [this image was doing the rounds of our office yesterday. Godzilla is not real.. but the rest is!]


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I awoke yesterday to a weird yellow glow. Thought the world was on fire!! Strange light I have only seen once before when Sydney experienced it’s worst bushfire season. The dust storm was accompanied by gale force winds, so driving to work yesterday was a treat!! Branches falling on the road in front of me, somewhat deserted streets, and weird eerie yellow glow to everything and the roads covered with brown/red dirt! Just layered with it… strange but true!!






I don’t think there is a clean car in Sydney. Yesterday, for the first time I saw Sydneysiders wearing face masks. We’re a tough lot in Sydney and don’t usually bother with that sort of thing. They didn’t wear them for the Avian Flu, nor for the Swine Flu.. but the BIG Red… face masks everywhere [except the smokers who took it in their stride… just another day!]






Today is back to normal, somewhat! Just the big cleanup now. I hadn’t realised my fan function on the air conditioner was sucking in external air.. until I took a look at the unit and filter.. OMG.. covered in red dust.. was breathing it in all night which accounts for the cough I have now.






Now this is NOT a pretty post! [as you can see by Godzilla above]. Thought you might enjoy these images I took of before and after cleaning the air filters in the air conditioner.




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Before Cleaning






air filter 20090923 2 crop











After Cleaning [sort of]






clean - sort of-3






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The only UP side is I seem to have ESP!! ha ha I bought a new PC and scanner 3 months ago and have NEVER unpacked them.. Even I cannot understand my hesitation… until now!! Thank goodness. The PC is right under the air conditioning unit that has been blowing the RED stuff all night!! Strangely I have even been putting off getting a new TV.. remember me posting I have no green on my TV? .. well I certainly have RED on it now… another bonus for procrastination!! Also been procrastinating about buying a new car!! Another Bonus!! Well I think I need some more sleep… Will catch up with posts and comments very soon!! Thank you to those sweet ppl who have left comments and emails of concern! You are too sweet!!






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RED Julie

PS Sorry this is such an ugly post.. someone has to report the Ugly news!!






25 comments:

Joan@anthinggoeshere said...

Yikes is all I can say. Except that procrastination may have saved you!

The House That A-M Built said...

I said a few ugly words about the red dust this morning. You've done a great job of describing it here Miss Julie. Yuk, I don't think this dust is ever going to come off. It's worse that cleaning up after a build! I am still finding areas of tile grouting smears on tiles in certain light, left over from the build... now everything is red so it's so much easier to see! Have fun cleaning... I have dishwashers hands at present and the washing machine is groaning, full of dirty, filthy rags! A-m xx

erin's art and gardens said...

oh dear julie...i've never seen anything like that ! i want to know more, why is the dust red, is this a new phenomenon or global warming, and how damaging is this to your health and the environment!? please take care my dear and drink plenty of water and maybe some extra vitamin c. perhaps a face mask is not a bad idea? thinking of you...erin

Drawn to The Sea said...

Oh my goodness, perhaps you should see a doc just to be on the safe side. Your lungs may be much too dry. Take care of you!

~Julia

Roberta said...

Sounds like you could use some help dusting and clearing the air Julie. Didn't realize it was so bad!

Sue said...

I don't think it is an ugly post. I feel bad for you, it sounds terrible and messy. I also think it is interesting to hear first hand about things I've seen on the news here. I'm sorry about the headache, hope you feel better soon.

Sue

Laura @ 52 FLEA said...

Dearest RED Julie,
I saw this horror on the news this morning and was thinking of you on my way to work....hope that cough goes away soon and that you get your place cleaned up! So sorry for you all...
Take special care,
Laura

Jane said...

Poor you. As dust storms go that looks like a pretty bad one. I saw the images on tv last night and all I could think of was how would I clean everything out. Yuck. Not to mention the horrible breathing it in. Good on you for reporting the ugly. It can't always be sweetness and flowers! V lucky re your computer too!

Dumbwit Tellher said...

Julie this is incredible. My hubs & I were laughing at the godzilla pic but I am sure as you were dodging branches in the high wind you were not laughing? I am very glad to know you are okay, except having a monster headache is not so great. I hope it passed quickly. Thank goodness for all of us procrastinators.We aren't all bad. I DO remember you writing about your t.v., another chuckle there. Wish I were there to help you dust! I'd bring the supplies. Be well my friend. Sorry that I've been so m.i.a. So much more fun to be a kept woman rather than out in the harsh working world..ha!

Chemin des Muguets said...

Hey Red,

Yes, I was worried about you. Saw it on the tele. We used to have similar dust storms in Beijing, although the dust and air were icky yellow.

Glad its over. Thanks for the eye witness account!

Marjorie

simon said...

:o)

It was certanly an experience... I can vouch for that!

Maya said...

This is amazing..., I heard about it on the news a few hours ago and was thinking of you. All that dust, and I wonder... what does actually happen when it gets into your lungs. I got my share over the years just with all the remodeling projects (and not wearing a mask), hmmmm.

Samy said...

It's terrible. Hope you get all that nasty dust out of your home soon :)

Kellie Collis said...

Even my sweet peas are a funny colour outside!

Jacqueline @ HOME said...

Oh poor you, Julie....what an extreme weather experience....I certainly hope that there are no long lasting effects for all you Sydney residents.....it must be so awful.
How lucky that you haven't opened your new computer and scanner.Now there will be the yukky matter of cleaning everything up. If I lived nearby, I'd be there with my mop and bucket !!!!
Never mind...these things are sent to try us, Soldier on, Julie. XXXX

Marina Saclley @ Iced VoVo's said...

Oh Julie!
What an unbelievable experience Sydney has had. My daughter got the news from her FB friends and I called my mum (am London time) when I saw the news. All the photos look magnificent, but I'm sure it wasn't .... waking up and thinking you were on Mars (as a friend of mine put it!)
Your photo was very funny and I hope you're not feeling like a monster anymore.
Take care and I hope you get rid of all that red dust!!!
xx

Lee said...

Hi Julie, I saw the pics on TV last night and find it absolutely amazing - I've never seen anything like it! I imagine it must have been quite surreal. Happy 'red dust' cleaning! Lee :)

Shelley Trbuhovich said...

unbelievable, julie! i imagine it must've been a very scary thing to wake to. all the best with the clean up. hang in there. x

annechovie said...

That sounds just terrible! So sorry. Thanks for visiting my blog and hope you have a great weekend!

Courtney said...

That is so intense! It sounds like a premise for a new tv show. I'm glad you are ok, and good luck with your cleaning!

Jane said...

Oh Julie...What a mess!!! Looking at the filter makes me cringe. Thank goodness there WAS a filter.

Hope you can get rid of this intruder...in your home and your lungs. Take good care...drink lots of water...and get some rest!
Thinking of you...
Jane (Artfully Graced)

Mise said...

Oh poor you! How exciting and dramatic, but such hard work.

Berta F said...

Hello Ruby...like you ...I love Venezia....very nice ...your Post ...is very... very nice... Gorgeous..... I see in television the terrible dust storming..in Sidney...envy for our your photos....Un abrazo Berta

Carole said...

Sorry I'm just seeing this post. Don' know where I've been???
This is quite the mess you've got there. I would be freaking out!!! I hate cleaning! and red isn't my favorite either. I can't image what I would have been thinking if I woke up to such a thing.
I guess putting things off is a good thing!

koralee said...

poor poor you....I can't image what a mess it would of been...my thoughts are with you as you clean up!